MILWAUKEE – On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer agreed to a three-week Continuing Resolution spending bill that does not provide protections for Dreamers, disaster relief funding, funding for community health clinics, or adequate funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Schumer agreed that if the Dream Act is not passed by the week of February 5th, they would have a vote on standalone Dream Act bill. Voces de la Frontera and Youth Empowered in the Struggle will hold an emergency press conference Monday at 3:30pm at Senator Tammy Baldwin’s office in support of the Dream Act.

“Yet again, we see the failure of Democratic Party leadership to forcefully stand up and defend immigrant youth and families,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera. “We are deeply disappointed in the decision of Senator Tammy Baldwin to follow Democratic leadership in caving to Donald Trump’s white nationalist agenda. This is a mistake. The majority of people were rightfully holding the Trump, Paul Ryan, and the Republican leadership accountable for their mean-spirited shutdown. Sixteen thousand immigrant young people have already lost DACA protections, making them a target for deportation. We will continue to engage people of all backgrounds to demand a clean Dream Act be included in the federal spending bill by February 8th, and that these other essential programs be fully funded. The broad support for immigrants and the Dream Act is based on immigrant leadership and the linking of the struggles of our diverse communities. Our organizing brought us this far, and that is what will deliver the Dream Act.”

A November 2017 rally at Paul Ryan’s Janesville home for the Dream Act. Photo by Joe Brusky